Roasted Green Beans with Lemon and Thyme

Being stuck at home with a sick child for most of the week hands down has not been the highlight of my stint as a new mom. It’s never fun to watch your child, or anyone you love for that matter, suffer. There is a sense of overwhelming helplessness that just cannot be put into words. Not to mention that we’ve been confined to staying indoors which, if you have a toddler of your own or have ever been around one, you know how much of a challenge for both child and adult this can be.

If you’ve been following along with my blog, you have already come to know that this household is filled with people who like to eat and my soon-to-be 2-year old daugheter is no exception. We tease that she definitely inherited the “eating gene.” So much so that I have found myself having to cut her off from consuming food at any given meal. So when she looked at her standard breakfast of waffle and blueberries the other day and pushed the plate off to the side in disgust, I knew something was not right. Thankfully, as soon as her fever broke, her appetite came screaming back and for this I was grateful.

Amidst the chaos of this week, I somehow managed to find time to cook. I cranked out Roasted Green Beans with Lemon and Thyme one evening that I served alongside a nice piece of salmon. This is an incredibly easy and flavorful side dish that you can make ahead and either serve warm or at room temperature. My mother gave me this recipe years ago and it never disappoints. Roasting is my favorite way to cook green beans because they get this nice little char on the outside yet stay tender on the inside. The dressing calls for anchovies but don’t fret. You won’t even notice that they are there, I promise you. Again, if you are really adverse to anchovies, go ahead and omit them but if you are feeling adventurous then I beg you to give it a try. The best way to mash them is to take your knife and give them a rough chop. Using the flat side of the blade, run it back and forth over the anchovies. Do this a few times until they turn into a paste.

Roasted Green Bean with Lemon and Thyme

• 1lb green beans, ends trimmed
• 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 3 springs of fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 anchovy filets, mashed
• Zest of one lemon
• 2-3tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (put rack on the very top). Toss the beans on a large sheet pan with the thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Roast in a single layer for 15 minutes, tossing 2 or 3 times. Discard thyme.

In a small bowl, toss the anchovies, lemon juice, and zest. Pour over the beans and toss well. Serve hot or at room temperature.